Written by Edzard Ernst and the CAM-Cancer Consortium.
Updated May 9, 2012

Qigong

Does it work ?

Systematic reviews

An internationally cooperative systematic review 9 included nina clinical trials of which four were randomized. Eight of these studies tested the effectiveness of internal qigong. All studies related to palliative and supportive cancer care. Their methodological quality was generally poor. Few, if any, studies made a serious attempt at controlling for non-specific effects. Most studies generated encouraging outcomes in terms of symptom control. But, due to the above-mentioned caveats, the authors concluded that “the effectiveness of qigong in cancer care is not yet supported by the evidence from rigorous clinical trials” 9.

A more recent systematic review included 23 clinical trials of qigong including eight RCTs 10. The authors confirmed that the mostly poor quality of the primary data precludes firm conclusions but found that qigong in combination with standard care did lead to improvements of immune functions. This view is somewhat in contradiction to that of other authors who concluded that qigong also improved quality of life, fatigue and mood of cancer patients 11.

A further systematic review 12 included five RCTs of external qigong as a treatment for pain – not just cancer-related pain, but any type of pain. All of these studies suggested a positive effect. Because they were mostly of poor quality, the interpretation of the overall conclusion should, however, be carried out cautiously.

Finally, a systematic review of internal qigong for pain management in general included four RCTs and three non-randomized clinical trials 13. The quality of the studies was poor and their findings were mixed. The authors therefore concluded that “the evidence is not convincing.” 13

Other reviews

A non-systematic review of any type of research suggested that external qigong inhibited tumour growth and prolonged survival. But these authors stressed that "there is much room for improvement in these studies." 14

Controlled clinical trials

The only clinical trial not included in the above-mentioned reviews included 81 cancer patients who received either usual care plus qigong or usual care alone 15. The former group reported improved cognitive function and quality of life as well as reduced markers of inflammation. Like all qigong trials, this study does not tell us whether the effects are specific to qigong or of a non-specific nature.

Case reports

Nine women with breast cancer received five external qigong treatments on consecutive days. Comparing pre-and post-therapy measurements, the authors failed to notice any signs of tumour shrinking 16.

Other case reports 17,18 have indicated positive effects.

Pre-clinical studies

In vitro experiments have suggested that external qigong induces apoptosis and inhibition of cancer cell invasion 19-21. Animal experiments have implied that it inhibits tumour growth 22. Some studies have suggested that it decreases leucopenia in breast cancer patients 23.

The only clinical trial not included in the above-mentioned reviews included 81 cancer patients who received either usual care plus qigong or usual care alone. 15 The former group reported improved cognitive function and quality of life as well as reduced markers of inflammation. Like all qigong trials, this study does not tell us whether the effects are specific to qigong or of a non-specific nature.

Citation

Edzard Ernst, CAM-Cancer Consortium. Qigong [online document]. http://www.cam-cancer.org/CAM-Summaries/Mind-body-interventions/Qigong. May 9, 2012.

Document history

Most recently updated in May 2012 by Edzard Ernst.
First published in April 2011, authored by Edzard Ernst.

References

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  2. Skoglund L, Josephson M, Wahlstedt K, Lampa E, Norback D. Qigong training and effects on stress, neck-shoulder pain and life quality in a computerised office environment. Complement Ther Clin Pract 2011; 17(1):54-57.
  3. Biesinger E, Kipman U, Schatz S, Langguth B. Qigong for the treatment of tinnitus: a prospective randomized controlled study. J Psychosom Res 2010; 69(3):299-304.
  4. Terjestam Y, Jouper J, Johansson C. Effects of scheduled qigong exercise on pupils' well-being, self-image, distress and stress. J Altern Complement Med 2010; 16(9):939-944.
  5. Stenlund T, Birgander LS, Lindahl B, Nilsson L, Ahlgren C. Effects of qigong in patients with burnout: a randomized controlled trial. J Rehabil Med 2009; 41(9):761-767.
  6. Guo X, Zhou B, Nishimura T, Teramukai S, Fukushima M. Clinical effect of qigong practice on essential hypertension: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Altern Complement Med 2008; 14(1):27-37.
  7. Chow YW, Tsang HW. Biopsychosocial effects of qigong as a mindful exercise for people with anxiety disorders: a speculative review. J Altern Comp Med 2007; 13(8):831-839.
  8. Jahnke RA, Larkey LK, Rogers C. Dissemination and benefits of a replicable Tai Chi and Qigong program for older adults. Geriatr Nurs 2010; 31(4):272-280.
  9. Lee MS, Chen KW, Sancier KM, Ernst E. Qigong for cancer treatment: A systematic review of controlled clinical trials. Acta Oncol 2007; 46:717-722.
  10. Chan CL, Wang CW, Ho RT, Ng SM, Chan JS, Ziea ET et al. A systematic review of the effectiveness of qigong exercise in supportive cancer care. Support Care Cancer 2012. DOI: 10.1007/s00520-011-1378-3
  11. Oh B, Butow P, Mullan B, Hale A, Lee MS, Guo X et al. A Critical Review of the Effects of Medical Qigong on Quality of Life, Immune Function, and Survival in Cancer Patients. Integr Cancer Ther 2011. DOI: 10.1177/1534735411413268
  12. Lee MS, Pittler MH, Ernst E. External Qigong for pain conditions: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. J Pain 2007; 8(11):827-831.
  13. Lee MS, Pittler MH, Ernst E. Internal qigong for pain conditions: a systematic review. J Pain 2009; 10(11):1121-1127.
  14. Chen K, Yeung R. Exploratory studies of qigong therapy for cancer in China. Integr Cancer Ther 2002; 1(4):345-370.
  15. Oh B, Butow PN, Mullan BA, Clarke SJ, Beale PJ, Pavlakis N et al. Effect of medical Qigong on cognitive function, quality of life, and a biomarker of inflammation in cancer patients: a randomized controlled trial. Support Care Cancer 2011 DOI: 10.1007/s00520-011-1209-6
  16. Cohen L, Chen Z, Arun B, Shao Z, Dryden M, Xu L et al. External qigong therapy for women with breast cancer prior to surgery. Integr Cancer Ther 2010; 9(4):348-353.
  17. Lee MS, Jang H-S. Two case reports of the acute effects of Qi therapy (external Qigong) on symptoms of cancer: short report. Comp Ther Clin Pract 2005; 11:211-213.
  18. Lee MS, Yang SH, Lee KK, Moon SR. Effects of Qi therapy (external Qigong) on symptoms of advanced cancer: a single case study. Eur J Cancer Care 2005; 14:457-462.
  19. Yan X, Chen H, Jiang H, Zhang C, Hu D, Want J et al. External Qi of Yan Xin Qigong differentially regulates the Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathways and is cytotoxic to cancer cells but not to normal cells. Int J Biochem & Cell Biol 2006; 38:2102-2113.
  20. Yan X, Shen H, Jiang H, Hu D, Zhang C, Wang J et al. External Qi of Yan Xin Qigong induces apoptosis and inhibits migration and invasion of estrogen-independent breast cancer cells through suppression of Akt/NF-êB signalling. Cell Physiol Biochem 2010; 25:263-270.
  21. Yan X, Li F, Dozmorov I, Frank MB, Dao M, Centola M et al. External Qi of Yan Xin Qigong induces cell death and gene expression alterations promoting apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation, migration and glucose metabolism in small-cell lung cancer cells. Mol Cell Biochem 2012; 363(1-2): 245-55
  22. Lei X-T, Bi A-H, Zhang Z-X, Cheng Z-Y. The antitumor effects of qigong-emitted external qi and its influence on the immunologic functions of tumor-bearing mice. J Tongji Med Univ 1991; 11(4):253-256.
  23. M-L, Lee T-I, Chen H-H, Chao T-Y. The influences of Chan-Chuang Qi-gong therapy on complete blood cell counts in breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. Cancer Nurs 2006; 29(2):149-155.
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